Cop on the roof, SUV on the run: How tobacco chase unfolded in Tamil Nadu
The dramatic pursuit unfolded after the Tamil Nadu Police intercepted a Karnataka-registered SUV suspected of carrying banned tobacco products from Bengaluru to Coimbatore.
For nearly 40 kilometres, Tamil Nadu Police Head Constable M Velmurugan had just one thing to hold on to — the roof rails of a speeding SUV.
As the vehicle raced from Coimbatore towards Avinashi, police cars followed close behind, and an ambulance was sent after it, turning an early-morning tobacco seizure into a dramatic highway chase.
Velmurugan, 38, a Head Constable at Kovilpalayam Police Station, climbed onto the vehicle as it tried to escape a police interception on the outskirts of Coimbatore.
The police received information that banned tobacco products were being transported from Bengaluru to Coimbatore and began checking vehicles early Sunday.
தமிழ்நாடு காவல்துறை தலைமை இயக்குநர் / காவல்துறைப் படைத்தலைவர் Dr. மகேஷ் குமார் அகர்வால், IPS, அவர்கள், ஆபத்தான சூழ்நிலையிலும் குற்றவாளிகளைப் பிடிக்க துணிச்சலுடனும், துரிதமாகவும் செயல்பட்ட முதல் நிலைக் காவலர் எண்… pic.twitter.com/r5ml3qN3Sz
The police spotted a white SUV with a Karnataka registration around 5 am. When officers intercepted it, the three occupants attempted to escape. Velmurugan grabbed the vehicle and climbed onto its roof.
“After being intercepted, the car suddenly reversed at a high speed and was about to get away when I climbed onto its roof and clung onto the rails,” Velmurugan said.
A high-speed chase
And then the SUV did get away – with the policeman still on it. It raced, reportedly travelling at more than 100 kmph at times, through the Coimbatore outskirts and onto the highway towards Avinashi. Velmurugan remained on the roof, gripping its rails. Other police vehicles gave chase.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was alerted, and an ambulance was sent behind the SUV as a safety measure. Footage shot from the ambulance – and videos recorded by passing motorists – soon circulated on social media.
The police also alerted the Kaniyur toll plaza, but the SUV passed through after its FASTag automatically operated the boom barrier, A Pavan Kumar Reddy, Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore, said. The chase finally ended near the Thekkalur-Mangalam stretch in Avinashi after police teams from the area helped block the SUV.
The three occupants fled on foot but were caught after another chase. Two suffered fractures to their upper limbs while attempting to escape, the police said. They identified the three arrested men as Rajasthan natives in their 20s.
The police recovered a large quantity of gutka and other banned tobacco products, allegedly procured in Bengaluru. Accounts of the seizure varied, placing it between about 170 kg and more than 250 kg.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
